Terrified, Matted Pup Gets Happy Ending: Diamond’s Before and After

Last year in Texas, a scared little white pup named Diamond arrived at the City of Abilene’s municipal shelter. She was dirty, painfully matted and very scared. No one knew it at the time, but she was also deaf.

If Diamond had arrived at the shelter a year earlier, she may never have found her happy ending. But the folks who work at the City of Abilene shelter are especially dedicated and strongly committed to saving animals’ lives. Naturally, they jumped at the chance to take part in the ASPCA’s Carroll Petrie Foundation Dog Rescue Project, unveiled in September.

Part of the ASPCA Animal Relocation Initiative, the Carroll Petrie Foundation Dog Rescue Project helps cash-strapped municipal shelters like Abilene’s relocate dogs to off-site adoption programs, rescues or private shelters by providing municipal shelters $50 per dog placed. That money can be spent on vet care for an animal, transportation of the pet, or on anything else that will help move the animal out of the shelter.

For Diamond, this program was a godsend. Abilene was able to use the Petrie subsidy to move her to The Pawed Squad rescue. After a desperately needed grooming, Diamond revealed herself to be an adorable little Bichon Frise! She also came out of her shell and showed she would make a wonderful companion.

Soon after rescuing Diamond, the Pawed Squad was able to place her in a loving home that cherishes her every day. Her deafness was never an issue for these awesome adopters.

Congratulations to Abilene, The Pawed Squad rescue and Diamond’s happy family. We’re so glad the Carroll Petrie Foundation Dog Rescue Project is changing lives like hers and thousands of others.

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My husband and I are ASPCA Guardians. It's wonderful to see great programs like this and especially nice to get to see special needs animals find their loving forever homes. Thanks so much for all the good things you do!!

I will tell you "What makes me Happy." It is reading the WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY page and seeing the beautiful dogs and cats from all over this country and other countries and realizing how many wonderful people and animals there are. In 2012 reading all the hate filled comments about politics made me sick. Then I would read about feeding shelter cats and dogs and try to get friends and aquaintances to join and help feed the animals. I would go to sleep knowing the world has a majority of kind and considerate people in it. Then today to read that ignorance and filth on my favorite site ruined my day. I was going to try to get a friend with a birthday today to join and feed more shelter animals, but I won't spread the message today. I don't want her to risk having her birthday ruined.

I live in Abilene, TX and I learned of this because of a friend in Idaho forwarding it to me.We've certainly never heard about any of this on the news etc. First: HOORAY for Diamond, and the Abilene shelter joinng forces with the ASPCA!! Second: I once applied and interviewed to work at this shelter. I walked out of the interview. They were poorly funded and had a 3-5 day hold on strays before euthanizing. ALL employees were expected to do perform that horrible deed, because they only had a veterinarian for animals that came in sick or injured. On the tour, I was shown a pile of frozen animals that were waiting to go into a kiln. Finally: I opted for a license plate that says Texas Animal Friendly, but it has been my experience, in the 2 1/2 years I've been here, that that proclamation isn't the case at all. I've only seen one other car with that plate. There ARE animal rescues here, but they are the minority in this town/area. It is an answer to prayers that the ASPCA is now involved here :o)That said, I'm going home to Idaho soon, where I will continue my work with countless friends in foster/rescue and registered Therapy Dog work. Heartwarming to know that Abilene will be growing in it's rescue service.

please explain this more "If Diamond had arrived at the shelter a year earlier, she may never have found her happy ending." does this mean there are different people working at the shelter now who are more animal oriented??? what would diamond have found if she was at this shelter a year earlier?